Monthly Archives: October 2020
Cody and The Blackouts – Time Stood Still(Official)
LA Band Cody & The Blackouts new single Time Stood Still
Cody and The Blackouts (USA)
Time Stood Still
We’ve all had those moments.
That instant when realisation hits. The sudden knowledge destiny is unfolding right before our eyes. It could be meeting a potential soulmate, achieving a lifelong goal, watching your team salvage victory from almost certain defeat.
Moments when time stood still.
The new single from Los Angeles five-piece Cody & The Blackouts captures that lightning in a bottle – not just once, even twice, but thrice. Time Stood Still, penned by the band’s lead singer and songwriter Cody Hudock, references three momentous events in history: the birth of Gutenberg’s printing press, Freud’s breakthrough theories of psychoanalysis, and how the Beatles and their producer George Martin changed the game forever when it comes to writing and recording popular music. Hit, hit, hit.
If anyone could weave these wildly disparate subjects together in the context of a single pop song, it’s Cody Hudock. Born into a family of songwriters, Hudock learned the trade from his father and older brother. “I picked it up quite naturally, in much the same way the son of a baker might understand intrinsically how to make a good loaf of bread from their first go at it,” Hudock says.
After acquiring early performance experience playing keys in older brother Jordan’s popular LA indie bands, Coalinga and Marvelous Toy, Hudock launched his own songwriting vehicle, Cody The Band. The group released three EPs before Hudock embarked on his solo debut, 2016’s ambitiously titled The Great American Album. Released under his own name, it garnered some delirious word of mouth: “If there were an award for ‘greatest living songwriter you’ve never heard of’, then Cody Hudock’s sterling solo effort would place him firmly in the running,” gushed LA blog The 704.
What would become the core of The Blackouts played together on The Great American Album: Cody, his wife and vocalist Joanna Hudock, and multi-instrumentalist Jordan Bennett. Drummer Brent Stranathan and bassist Will Weissman were soon added to the fold, as the band began playing shows across Los Angeles. When Bennett moved to Atlanta a year later, guitarist Jimmy Holman proved a worthy replacement.
Recorded at Hollywood studio Elephant In The Room, produced by Ethan Kaufmann (Avril Lavigne, Wild Party) and Brent Stranathan, and mixed by longstanding Capitol Records engineer Chandler Harrod (John Mayer, Neil Young), Time Stood Still captures the unique studio chemistry of Cody & The Blackouts. That chemistry translates to the song’s accompanying performance video, shot in crisp black and white at The Room Downtown, LA, with Matt Soson as Director of Photography and edited in Australia by Emmy award-winning Jason “JJ” Jamieson. Time Stood Still, from the album Gold, released on Chance MUSIC. Hit, hit, hit.
Video
Connect with Cody and The Blackouts
Released In Australia by Chance Music
For further information, Files, CD and Interview Requests please contact:
Marshall Cullen at Foghorn Media
0416 143 030
marshall@foghornrecords.net
Or
Nick Chance at Chance Music
promotions@chancemusic.com
Mr Blonde New Single In a Faze
MR BLONDE – IN A FAZE
Mr Blonde have come to the airwaves with this power pop epic, reminiscent of their Triple J ruling days. Sugar coated lyrics disguise a super well produced catchy tune, think Blur, Oasis, Brit Pop in general and coming in at 2mins42secs this is a winner.
The track is about the way we humans get caught up in the complicated maze we inhabit. From social media interaction through to rapid changes in technology. Our cultural norms are bombarded with aggressively targeted consumerism. That’s the verse, the chorus is a call to arms, to “stick it where the sun don’t shine.”
Complete with the signature Mr Blonde sound: jangly pop guitars, groovy bass, swirling hammond keyboards and a melodic vocal to sing to the stars. The song wasn’t so much “written” but was an ear worm without guitars. Ken couldn’t stop singing it, so finished the track to save his sanity.
Recorded at Big Studios in Crows Nest Sydney with tracking and mixing completed at Burning Boat Studios in Melbourne. Mixed by Steve Melville. Mastered by King Willy in Launceston.
Forget all the Mr Blonde “burst onto the scene” rhetoric there is a real story of how this band formed out of a dodgy terrace in Woolloomooloo. Two true believers in English Indie music decided to have a crack, spending evenings and weekends fine tuning raucous, pop driven riffs with motor-beat drumming, and guitars laden with distortion and reverb.
Songs were written, relentless rehearsals, early gigs at The Sando, The Hoey, Metro then interstate and beyond to touring mayhem, festivals, music videos and TV shows.
Perhaps the infamous line from Spinal Tap: “have a good time all the time” resonated a little too strongly for Mr Blonde. Their first single Sunday swung into high rotation at Triple J and set the band up for what was to follow. Relentless touring and ridiculous surreal moments spaced out between hundreds of amazing gigs and the best time of our lives. Fall off a cliff… fast forward to the first Mr Blonde single for 25 years “In a Faze”.
Video
In A Faze is OUT NOW – September 18th via MGM
All DSP’s
Connect with Mr Blonde
For further information, Files, CD and Interview Requests please contact:
Marshall Cullen at Foghorn Media
0416 143 030
marshall@foghornrecords.net
Big Merino’s New Single Something to Hide
Big Merino’s new single is OUT NOW.
Recorded in just one day at the new Damien Gerard Studios just out of Sydney,
this tune is a fine example of the bands songwriting ability.
Plus there’s a live show to support the release.
The official launch is on Sunday October 25 at Camelot
Due to COVID the venue is limiting numbers
so you have to book in groups of 2, 4 or 8.
‘Something To Hide was written after we heard about the destruction of the Juukan rock shelters in the Pilbara. It’s a little like blowing up the Sistine Chapel except the Sistine Chapel is less significant but at least we get to sell some iron ore, cheap, to the Chinese’ – Big Merino
Big Merino play songs that blur the lines between rock, blues, roots, and soul. Despite their passion for Americana their music also sounds quintessentially Australian, shaped by landscape and stories.
Despite an obvious passion for what’s often called ‘Americana’, Big Merino somehow still sound quintessentially Australian – the lyrics and sound shaped by the landscape and their own stories. The live sound is a classic combination of acoustic and electric guitars, vocals, bass and drums. But the album is fleshed out with multiple guitar layers, gospel style harmonies, Hammond organ, piano, horns and percussion.
In 2018 the newly formed Sydney-based band released their debut album ‘Suburban Wildlife’ thru the Foghorn label, made two cinematic film clips with director Alan Harca, and performed all around Sydney.
The band has done numerous Interviews & live-to-air performances including ABC 702 & RN, 2SER Dirt Music, Radio Skid Row, Eastside Radio, Aussie Music Weekly and 2BBB. The single ‘Black Cockatoos’ was top 10 on AMRAP Metro and Regional playlists in 2018.
To follow their well-received debut the band started work on the follow up early in 2019. ‘Sweet Little Angel’ was released in mid-year and the band toured and performed various festivals around the country, starting with Murringo and Quandialla in June.
Something to Hide is their newest single for 2020 and includes a home recorded B Side ‘Tell Me Something’
Something to Hide hits in quick with guitars and then band and vocals catching your attention. The Beatles-esque chorus features a 6 part harmony from gospel master Stu Davis. With hooks, riffs and even catchy bass and drums this one is a winner.
Something to Hide is out today September 25
on Foghorn Records through MGM.
Stream or Download:
Connect with Big Merino:
For further information, Cd’s and Interview requests please contact:
Marshall Cullen at Foghorn Media
0416 143 030
marshall@foghornrecords.net
Gareth Koch new album The Guitar Player
GARETH KOCH NEW ALBUM THE GUITAR PLAYER
Following the EP Code Blue earlier this year and taking time out from multiple Steve Kilbey projects, Gareth has put together this superb selection of his classical guitar work recorded in two European locations, a remote Austrian village chapel & a baroque Viennese monastery, while living in Europe for over two decades.
A curious & ancient bond unites the selections on this recording. Performed entirely on the ‘Spanish’ guitar, these works have been moulded by the traditions of Spanish classical music & the passionate folk art of flamenco. The musicological connection between folk & classical music is well documented, a phenomenon in which composers incorporate the spirit of folk music into their work. Spanish music is often imbued with the fire of ‘Gypsy song’, whose powerful artistic reach extends well beyond Spain.
ARIA Award winner Gareth Koch is uniquely placed as an interpreter of Spanish music. Trained in Vienna & Madrid, he brings both classical & flamenco perspectives to his interpretation. He is joined on tracks 3, 9 & 12 by Viennese cellist Herwig Tachezi – former Principal Cellist of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
‘The Guitar Player’ is an entirely natural acoustic recording using direct source microphones and purely the ambient spaces of the chapel’s thereby avoiding any extra processing.
Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a diverse repertory across multiple albums spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.
Born in Milan, Koch began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning a scholarship for advanced guitar study at the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music.
In 2002 Koch formed what might be termed the first guitar supergroup. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to number 1 on the classical music charts and appeared on the pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums.
Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & in 2020 released two collaborative albums with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church).
The Guitar Player is OUT NOW – September 18 via MGM
All DSP’s and CD’s in store from October
Connect with Gareth Koch:
For further information, Files, CD and Interview Requests please contact:
Marshall Cullen at Foghorn Media
0416 143 030
marshall@foghornrecords.net